Photographic apparatus for firing a plurality of flash lamps

ABSTRACT

Photographic apparatus for simultaneously firing more than one flash lamp. The apparatus is preferably an adapter receivable by a camera of the type adapted to fire a single mechanically fireable lamp. The adapter has a rotatable socket for receiving a multilamp unit and an actuating mechanism which actuates more than one flash lamp at substantially the same time in response to receipt of mechanical force from the camera flash actuating device. For use with cameras having a rotatable socket, the adapter includes a rotatable socket and a coupling mechanism for rotating the adapter socket 180* in response to rotation of the camera socket through 90*.

United States Patent Simon et a1.

PHOTOGRAPHIC APPARATUS FOR 4 FIRING A PLURALITY OF FLASH LAMPS Assignee:Eastman Kodak Company Filed: June 1, 1971 Appl. No.: 148,674

Foreign Application Priority Data June 4, 1970 Germany ..o 70 20 9 52.8

US. Cl. ..95/11 L, 240/13, 131/93 Int. Cl. ..G03b 17/48 Field of Search..95/11 R, 11 L, 11.5 R'

References Cited I UNITED STATES PATENTS Beach ..240/1.3

Millet ..95/ll.5 R Horton et al ..95/11.5 R

1451 Dec. 19, 1972 3,550,514 12/1970 Harvey ..95/11L FOREIGN PATENTS ORAPPLICATIONS [57] ABSTRACT.

Photographic apparatus for simultaneously firing more than one flashlamp. The apparatus is preferably an adapter receivable by a camera ofthe type adapted to fire a single mechanically tireable lamp. Theadapter has a rotatable socket for receiving a multilamp unit and anactuating mechanism which actuates more than one flash lamp atsubstantially the same time in response to receipt of mechanical forcefrom the camera flash actuating device. For use with cameras having arotatable socket, the adapter includes a rotatable socket and a couplingmechanism for rotating the adapter socket 180 in response to rotation ofthe camera socket through 90.

7 Claims, 1 Drawing Figure 1- PHOTOGRAPI-IIC APPARATUS FOR FIRING APLURALITY OF FLASH LAMPS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION multilamp flashunit and means for indexing such a multilamp unit to position unfiredflash lamps in each lamp firing position in response to indexingrotation of the camera socket.

The invention and its objects and advantages will I become more apparentin the detailed description of bus'tion'supporting gas. A metal tubeextends from the bottom of the lamp envelope containing a primer chargethat is ignitable in response to percussive contact with the tube by amechanically actuated striking member. To. facilitate firing of suchunits, a striking element for each such lamp is held ina pre-energizedposition from which it is releasable to fire its lamp. A flash lamp unitof this kind and a camera mechanism for firing it is described in U.S.Pat. No. 3,576,155 issued Apr. 27, 1971,to David E. Beach.

With prior conventional electrically actuable flashcubes, camerasadapted to fire simultaneously more than one flash lamp either in thesame unit or in different units have been suggested; see for example,U.S. Pat. No. 3,418,906, issued Dec. 31, 1968, to Wick et al.; GermanPat. No. 1,248,459, issued Apr. 2, 1970, to Hans Peter Huber; and U.S.Pat. No. 3,404,612, issued Oct. 8, 1968, to Donald M. Harvey. Suchcameras give improved results where greater illumination, wider spreadillumination or a bounce flash effect is desired. However, commercialacceptance has not been notable because the special effect desired wasnot common enough to warrant substantial additional structure built intothe camera.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention tofire simultaneously more than one mechanically actuable flash lamp.

It is another object of the invention to provide a wider angle ofillumination from a multilamp unit than that ordinarily provided by theunit itself.

It is another object of the invention to accomplish the above objectswith an ordinary flash camera of the type adapted to fire mechanicallyfireable flash lamps.

To accomplish these and other objects, the present invention provides anadapter receivable by ordinary mechanical flash cameras which adapterreceives and fires a plurality of lamps in response to single flashactuation of the camera. 7

According to a preferred embodiment, the adapter has a socket forreceiving a multilamp unit and has a single actuating member with twolegs movable into actuating engagement with strikers of adjacent lamps.The adapter has a base for receipt by a camera flashcube socket with thetwo leg actuating member aligned with an actuating member in the camera.

Another feature of an adapter constructed according to the invention isa rotatable socket for receipt of a the preferred embodiments presentedbelow.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING In the detailed description of thepreferred embodiment of the invention presented below, reference is madeto the accompanying drawing which is a pictorial view of an adapteraccording to the invention, positioned for mounting on a percussionflash camera, with a multilampflash unitinserted in the adapter.Portions of the camera, the multilamp flash unit, and the adapter areremoved to reveal the working components of the embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to thedrawing, an adapter 10 is positioned to be mountedon a percussion flashcamera 12. A multiflash unit, for example, a flashcube unit 14,

. comprising a plurality of percussion ignitable flash lamps 80, isinserted in adapter 10. Camera 12 is of a well known type. It includes ashutter release lever 30, which is biased upwardly and movabledownwardly by a shutter release mechanism (not shown), which is operableby the camera operator. A finger 32 extends upwardly from lever 30. Adrive member 34 is rotatably mounted on pivot 36 and is biased in acounterclockwise direction by a spring 38. One leg 40 of drive member 34is shown in its initial position in engagement with finger 32, so thatmember 34 is prevented from rotating about pivot 36. An upwardlyextending arm 42 of drive member 34 terminates in a cam surface 44.

The percussion flash components of camera 12 include an actuating memberor element 46, aligned with an aperture 48 in the top wall of camera 12.An ear 50 extends from the base of element 46 and is engageable by camsurface 44 of drive member 34, as drive member 34 rotates in acounterclockwise direction. A shutter 52 is rotatably mounted on a pivot54 and is biased in a counterclockwise direction about pivot 54 by aspring (not shown). Shutter 52 has an ear 56 on a portion of the shutterextending above pivot 54. It may be seen that, upon downward movement oflever 30, drive member 34 will be freed to rotate in a counterclockwisedirection under the bias of spring 38, whereupon leg 40 will contact ear56 to rotate shutter 52 and cam surface 44 will contact ear 50 to drivepercussion element 46 upwardly.

Socket 60 is located in the top wall of cameras 12 and includes a centerpost 62, channels 64 and resilient fingers 66 which are designed toreceive multilamp flash units carrying percussive type flash lamps.Socket 60 is rotatable by in response to movement of upwardly extendingleg 68 of drive member 34, as drive member 34 is moved to its cockedposition in response to operation of the film advance mechanism.Alternatively, camera 12 could include means for automatically rotatingsocket 60 with each operation of the shutter. Both such mechanisms arewell known in the art.

Flashcube unit 14, also ofa type well known, comprises a plurality ofpercussion flash lamps 80 or other lamps ignitable by striking,and abase82 having a setof walls and recesses which mate with the correspondingcenter post 62, channels 64 and resilient fingers 66 in socket 60 tosecure flashcube unit 14 on camera 12. For each flash lamp 809, striker84isheld in a preenergized, position from which it is releasable tofire. its respective lamp by striking. When flashcube unit 14 has beensecured on cameras 12 and is in position so that a flash lamp 80 isfacing in the direction of shooting, a striking element 84 isaligned'over aperture 48 in camera 12; As flashcube unit 14 is indexed,a new striking element which will ignite a new forward facing flash lampis aligned over aperture 48.

Adapter. comprises a support and orientation means, for example, a drivecoupler 100, a drive wheel 102,- drive gearing 204, a rotatablesocket'l04, and a flash'tiring or actuating member. 106. Depending'fromthe base of adapter 10 is wall .108 anda centering pin against itsspring bias to open the exposure aperture of camera 12. While shutter 52is thus opening, cam surface 44 of drive member 34 engages finger 50 ofele- 110. Wall 108isadaptedfor engaging the wall of v camera 12 on whichadapter 10 is mounted, while pin 110 is adapted to enter an aperture 112in the top wall ofcamera 12. Either wall 108 or pin 110, or both, maybe-used toaid in positioning adapter 10 on the camera 12 when mountingthe adapter and to prevent rotation of adapter 10 with respect to camera12. v Drive coupler 100 extends downwardly from adapter 10 and isadapted to receive center post 62 within a recess (not shown) in itsinterior/Drive coupler 100 further includes walls 114 whichpass intocorresponding channels 64 and recesses (not shown) which are engag'eableby resilient fingers 66 so that adapter 10 is received by and coupledwith socket 60 of camera 12. Coupler. l00will then transmit rotarymovement of socket 60 to drive wheel 102. Drive wheel 102 rotates socket104 through drive gearing'204. Socket 104 is similar to camera socket 60and is adapted to receive a flashcube unit 14.

Adapter 10 further includes'an aperture 120 which'is aligned withaperture 48 in camera l 2-when adapter 10 has been positioned on camera12. Actuating member 106 includes an outwardly extending car 122 whichis accessible through aperture 120 in the base of adapter 10. Member 106is rotatably mounted at end 126 and further includes a pair of upwardlyextending portions 124. Adapter 10 further includes a spring 128 whichbears against socket 104 and arrests rotation of socket 104 so that twoadjacent flash lamps 80 are each directed at an angle of 45 relative tothe direction of picture taking. Each one of fingers 124 on actuatingmember 106 will then be aligned with the striking element 84 of theflash lamps 80 which are in a firing position.

In the following explanation of the operation of the invention, it isassumed that an adapter 10 has been mounted on camera 12 as describedabove, with a flashcube 14 inserted into socket 104 of adapter 10 andthat allcomponents of camera 12 are cocked and an exposure is about tobe made. When the shutter release lever is depressed, finger 32becomes'disengaged from leg 40 of drive member 34, and member 34 rotatesin a counterclockwise direction under the influence of spring 38.Substantiallysimultaneously, leg

40 strikes car 56 of shutter 52, with sufficient force to cause shutter52 to rotate in a clockwise direction ment 46, thereby driving element46 through-aperture 48 of camera 12. Percussion element .46 also passesthrough aperture 120 of adapter .10 which is aligned with aperture 48,and then engages and forces upwards ear 122 of actuating member 106. Ascar 122 is forced upwards, actuating member 106 rotates about pivot 126,thereby causing fingers 124 to move upwards and to release the strikingelements 84 of the forward facing flash lamps 80, causing ignition offlash lamps 80. A maximum opening of the camera shutter 52 should betimed to correspond with the maximum output of the flash lamps 801 Tocomplete an exposure, shutter 52 is returned to its initial positiontoclose the exposure aperture and shutter release lever 30 is movedupwardly to its initial position.

Whenthe film advance mechanism of camera 12 is activated, drive member34 is engaged and rotated in a clockwise direction against the bias ofspring 38, thereby returning drive member 34 to its initial positionwherein leg 40 is engaged'by finger 32. Cam surface 44 is thereby movedout of engagement with ear 50 of element 46, thereby permitting element46 to move downwardly to its initial position and freeing element 106for rotation downwardly so that ear 122 again rests over aperture 120.As drive member 34 is rotated in a clockwise direction, upwardlyextending finger 68 rotates socket through an angle of Adapter wheel 102is rotatably coupled to adapter base and in turndrives socket 104through drive gearing 204. Gearing 204 drives socket 104 through anangle of in response to rotation of socket 60 through 90, therebypresenting a new pair of flash lamps in position such that each isoriented at an angle of 45 with respect to the direction of shootingwith their striking elements 84 aligned over fingers 124 of percussionelement-106.

' The invention has been described in detail with particular referenceto the preferred embodiment thereof, but it will be understoodthatvariations and modificaa tions can be effected within the spirit andscope of the invention. I

We claim:

1. For use with photographic apparatus having (a) means for receiving aflash unit of the type having at least one lamp ignitable by applicationof mechanical force and (b) means for applying a mechanical force to areceived unit to actuate such a lamp, an adapter comprising:

means for receiving at least two flash lamps at operative sites; meansfor simultaneously actuating ignition of at least two flash lampsreceived at said sites in response to application of mechanical force;and

support means for attaching said adapter to photographic apparatus ofthe type described above, and for orienting said adapter ignitionactuating means to receive mechanical force from the force applyingmeans of the photographic apparatus.

2. An adapter according to claim 1 wherein said adapter receiving meansincludes means for receiving a multilamp unit containing a plurality ofmechanically ignitable flash lamps which means is rotatable tosimultaneously place at least two flash lamps of the multilamp unit atsaid operative sites.

3. An adapter accordingto claim 2 useable with photographic apparatushaving a flash unit receiving means which is rotatable, and wherein saidadapter support means includes means for coupling said receiving meansof said adapter tothe receiving means of the photographic apparatus andincludes means for rotating said adapter receiving means in response torotation of the apparatus receiving means to simultaneously place atleast two flash lamps of said multilamp unit at operative sites.

' 4. For use with photographic apparatus having (a) means for receivinga percussionignitable multilamp flashunit containing a-plurality ofpercussion ignitable flash lamps and (b) means for actuating one of theplurality of flash lamps, an adapter for enabling such'apparatus toactuate simultaneously at least two of the plurality of flash lamps,said adapter comprising:

means for receiving such amultilamp flash unit, said adapterreceivingmeans being rotatable to simultaneously place at least two of theplurality of flash units at operative sites; and

means, operatively associated withsaid apparatus actuating means, forsimultaneously actuating percussion ignition of flash lamps located atsaid operative sites.

5. For use witha photographic camera having:

a flash unit socket for receiving a multilamp flash unit of the typehaving a plurality of lamps fireable by striking and an individualreleasable pre-energized striker for each lamp, the socket beingrotatable to sequentially position the lamps of such a multilamp unit ata firing site; and

a camera actuating member movable from a first to a second position forreleasing the striker of a lamp positioned at the firing site;

an adapter comprising:

an adapter socket for receiving such a multilamp flash unit, saidadapter socket being rotatable to simultaneously position two lamps ofsuch a multilamp unit at adapter firing sites; and

two adapter actuating members each movable from first to secondpositions in response to movemovement of the camera vactuating memberbetween its first and second positions, to simultaneously release thestrikers associated with lamps located at the firing sites.

6. An adapter according to claim 5 further comprising means foroperatively connecting said adapter to the camera, said means includingmeans interconnecting said adapter socket with the camera socket forrotation of said adapter socket through a first arc in response torotation of the camera socket through a second arc half as large as thefirst arc.

7. An adapter for use with a camera having:

a flash unit socket for receiving a multilamp unit of the type having aplurality of lamps fireable by striking and an individual releasablypre-energized striker for each lamp, the socket being rotatable tosequentially position the lamps of such a mu]- tilampunit at a camerafiring site; and

a camera flash actuating member movable from a first to a secondposition for releasing the striker of a lamp positioned at the camerafiring site;

t? ii gli i nii 3522 it receiving such a multilamp unit, said socketbeing rotatable to simultaneously position two lamps of such a multilampunit at adapter firing sites;

two adapter flash actuating members, each movable from a first to asecond position to release the striker associated with a lamp located atrespective adapter firing sites;

force transmission means for receiving a single mechanical force andtransmitting it simultaneously to the two adapter actuating members tosimultaneously move said members from their first to their secondpositions; and

support means for attaching said adapter to such photographic apparatusand for orienting said force transmission means to receive mechanicalforce from the camera flash actuating member as it moves from its firstto its second position.

1. For use with photographic apparatus having (a) means for receiving aflash unit of the type having at least one lamp ignitable by applicationof mechanical force and (b) means for applying a mechanical force to areceived unit to actuate such a lamp, an adapter comprising: means forreceiving at least two flash lamps at operative sites; means forsimultaneously actuating ignition of at least two flash lamps receivedat said sites in response to application of mechanical force; andsupport means for attaching said adapter to photographic apparatus ofthe type described above, and for orienting said adapter ignitionactuating means to receive mechanical force from the force applyingmeans of the photographic apparatus.
 2. An adapter according to claim 1wherein said adapter receiving means includes means for receiving amultilamp unit containing a plurality of mechanically ignitable flashlamps which means is rotatable to simultaneously place at least twoflash lamps of the multilamp unit at said operative sites.
 3. An adapteraccording to claim 2 useable with photographic apparatus having a flashunit receiving means which is rotatable, and wherein said adaptersupport means includes means for coupling said receiving means of saidadapter to the receiving means of the photographic apparatus andincludes means for rotating said adapter receiving means in response torotation of the apparatus receiving means to simultaneously place atleast two flash lamps of said multilamp unit at operative sites.
 4. Foruse with photographic apparatus having (a) means for receiving apercussion ignitable multilamp flash unit containing a plurality ofpercussion ignitable flash lamps and (b) means for actuating one of theplurality of flash lamps, an adapter for enabling such apparatus toactuate simultaneously at least two of the plurality of flash lamps,said adapter comprising: means for receiving such a multilamp flashunit, said adapter receiving means being rotatable to simultaneouslyplace at least two of the plurality of flash units at operative sites;and means, operatively associated with said apparatus actuating means,for simultaneously actuating percussion ignition of flash lamps locatedat said operative sites.
 5. For use with a photographic camera having: aflash unit socket for receiving a multilamp flash unit of the typehaving a plurality of lamps fireable by striking and an individualreleasable pre-energized striker for each lamp, the socket beingrotatable to sequentially position the lamps of such a mUltilamp unit ata firing site; and a camera actuating member movable from a first to asecond position for releasing the striker of a lamp positioned at thefiring site; an adapter comprising: an adapter socket for receiving sucha multilamp flash unit, said adapter socket being rotatable tosimultaneously position two lamps of such a multilamp unit at adapterfiring sites; and two adapter actuating members each movable from firstto second positions in response to movemovement of the camera actuatingmember between its first and second positions, to simultaneously releasethe strikers associated with lamps located at the firing sites.
 6. Anadapter according to claim 5 further comprising means for operativelyconnecting said adapter to the camera, said means including meansinterconnecting said adapter socket with the camera socket for rotationof said adapter socket through a first arc in response to rotation ofthe camera socket through a second arc half as large as the first arc.7. An adapter for use with a camera having: a flash unit socket forreceiving a multilamp unit of the type having a plurality of lampsfireable by striking and an individual releasably pre-energized strikerfor each lamp, the socket being rotatable to sequentially position thelamps of such a multilamp unit at a camera firing site; and a cameraflash actuating member movable from a first to a second position forreleasing the striker of a lamp positioned at the camera firing site;said adapter comprising: a flash unit socket for receiving such amultilamp unit, said socket being rotatable to simultaneously positiontwo lamps of such a multilamp unit at adapter firing sites; two adapterflash actuating members, each movable from a first to a second positionto release the striker associated with a lamp located at respectiveadapter firing sites; force transmission means for receiving a singlemechanical force and transmitting it simultaneously to the two adapteractuating members to simultaneously move said members from their firstto their second positions; and support means for attaching said adapterto such photographic apparatus and for orienting said force transmissionmeans to receive mechanical force from the camera flash actuating memberas it moves from its first to its second position.